1. Field
Aspects of the present invention relate to a protection circuit for a battery pack and a battery pack including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A portable electronic equipment mounted inside a vehicle is exposed to internal heat of the vehicle and external heat introduced such as direct sunlight.
In particular, a portable electronic equipment, such as a navigator, is mounted inside a vehicle during use of the vehicle. In particular, in the summer season, the interior temperature of the vehicle can reach above 60° C., and the navigator is used in a high temperature environment.
In the navigator, there is a battery pack including a protection circuit and a rechargeable battery cell (for example, a lithium ion battery or a lithium polymer battery) for powering the navigator so that the navigator can be operated for several hours without using the power of the vehicle.
However, most users power the navigator mounted inside the vehicle by electrically connecting the navigator to the power source of the vehicle.
In this case, the battery pack mounted on the navigator is continuously being charged, so that the battery cell of the battery pack is charged to the full-charge voltage.
However, when the battery pack included in the navigator remains in the vehicle at a high temperature in the summer season, it becomes overheated by the interior temperature of the vehicle and by heat generated by the battery cell itself.
In this case, since the overcharging state of the battery cell is maintained in a high temperature, a swelling phenomenon is generated so that the battery cell becomes in a dangerous state.